In a statement today, the ministry said it was researching possible amendments to the act to ensure it would be in line with current developments in the digital economy and e-commerce.

The ministry, through the Personal Data Protection Department, has formed four committees to look into possible amendments to the act which would strengthen personal data protection, expand the existing personal data privacy system and address enforcement issues surrounding parties found to possess or obtain personal data illegally.

“Our research has allowed us to identify shortcomings in the act compared to personal data privacy laws in Asean, Japan, South Korea and the EU,” said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo in the statement.

“Among the main amendments that have been suggested include widening the act to include data processors, making it compulsory for data users to report incidents of data breaches to the relevant authorities, expanding the rights of data users and making crossborder data transfer easier.

“These amendments are important to strengthen personal data privacy in Malaysia and ensure that the act is in line with the needs of the digital economy, technology and society,” he said.

The ministry will be holding a series of public consultations on the possible amendments from Feb 14-28, and the public can provide feedback via JPDP’s website.